Cleveland Cultural Gardens to celebrate 100th year

For Immediate Release

February 1, 2016

Cleveland, OH – 100 years ago in 1916 the first garden in what would become the Cleveland Cultural Gardens was dedicated. Known today as the British Cultural Garden, its dedication in April of 1916 hosted members of the British Royal Family, unveiled a bust of Shakespeare, and presented literary works of English authors.

Under the shepherding of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) there are now 29 unique nationality gardens (and more in the works) on over 250 acres along MLK and East Boulevards. 

The motto of the CCGF is “Peace through Mutual Understanding” and each garden and the Gardens as a whole exemplify peace and understanding through each nationality sharing its achievements and contributions to the betterment of society. Within the gardens are numerous depictions of significant personalities in the pursuit of peace: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Confucius; music: Liszt, Beethoven, Bach; literature: Shakespeare, James Joyce, Mark Twain; and sciences: Tesla, Leonardo DaVinci, Madame Currie among many others. It is through this recognition of each culture’s contributions that real understanding among diverse people can take place.

The City of Cleveland is joining the CCGF in making the Centennial celebration a true representation of the wonderful ethnic diversity that makes Cleveland so great.  From the initial Gala celebration on April 8, 2016 to the 71st annual One World Day in the Gardens on August 28, 2016, there will be numerous events for the community to celebrate this truly unique milestone.

Along with the city, many civic-minded institutions and foundations will help the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation celebrate this once in a lifetime anniversary.  The CCGF is announcing a Centennial Campaign to raise an initial $750,000.   The long term goals are to create an ongoing Endowment Fund to help maintain and grow the gardens for the next hundred years. The funds will be used for restoration, improvements, and to focus on the mission of the gardens, Peace Through Mutual Understanding.

The centerpiece of this legacy project will be the construction of a Centennial Plaza to be located at the midway point of the gardens. It will feature a large open plaza for performances and gatherings with a special monument dedicated to the many ethnic communities that preserved the legacy of the cultural gardens for a hundred years and to those who will carry on the tradition for the next 100 years.

This special year allows for a variety of ways others can become involved. Details can be found at http://www.clevelandculturalgardens.org/centennial-celebration/. 

Contact

Cleveland Cultural Gardens
President Sheila Murphy Crawford    sheilacrawford99@gmail.com 440 668-5651 cell

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